Shapers
Shapers are magical sects with special ability to magically create lifeforms with raw materials and essence as components. Overview The Shapers are the most powerful of the magical sects. Shapers have the ability to create and alter life, to create beasts to do various tasks such as domestic work, labor, and combat. Using Essence, shapers can mold their creations into being. This process can be simple and quick, or long and exhausting for more complex creations. The Shapers also govern the lands under their control. Their territory is headed by the Shaper Council, a group of nine elite Shapers, who meet to discuss issues to keep peace and prosperity. The Shapers are a research-minded people. Many of them spend the bulk of their lives in musty laboratories, trying to unravel the secrets of living things including Creations. However, more than often, their approach in the research for secrets of life proved to be inhumane and barbaric. They treated their creations (particularly sentient ones) as disposable tool instead of living beings, and thus have no qualms in torturing and experimenting on them in painful manner for sake of their research. Worse, any of their creations that displaying signs of either free will, rebellious behavior, or both, would be subjected to immediate termination. The Shapers' cruelty even extend to that of their apprentice (albeit in lesser extent), and has repeatedly shown that they rule the land in iron fist In spite of their amoral and totalitarian ways, Shapers are not without positive qualities: While not hesitate to executing those who illegally study the secrets of their power, the Shapers' extreme ways in safeguarding the art of Shaping was done to prevent it from falling into wrong hands or worse, swindle out of control and cause anarchy. Their mistreatments on their creations also partly to prevent them from wreaking havoc and destruction as they have limitkess potential as beasts of war. Even so, their idiosyncrasies and extremist ways have ironically caused more harm than good to come from the overall result: It has shown again and again that Shapers sect have made more enemies out of their creations and subjects, leading to the foundation of the rebel factions. Shaper Classes There are three basic types of Shapers. Though they have different skills and perform different duties, to outsiders they are all collectively known as the Shapers. The basic types of Shapers include: * Agent - Highly skilled in magic, while also being quite skilled with a sword and other weaponry. Agents are the first shapers sent when a task needs done. Agents often work alone, and do not rely much on the shaping arts. Agents frequently travel in the night to complete tasks ranging from negotiations to assassinations. * Guardian - Highly skilled with weaponry and combat, while able to shape creations to aid them. Not highly skilled in magical arts, they rather rely on their impressive skills with swords and other weaponry. Guardians act as the soldiers of the shapers, and are sent on work usually involving combat. * Shaper - Very skilled with the shaping arts, while being quite skilled with magic as well. Shapers are dedicated to research and the improvement of the shaping arts. Shapers are more frail than guardians and agents, and tend to stay away from close combat and weaponry. Shapers are capable of using enchanted crystals to control groups of creations from a distance; a single shaper is like an army of one. History The development of the Shaping arts originated on Sucia Island. There, basic creation types still used by Shapers centuries later were developed. They fought against other natives, often using their power to warp their enemies' bodies, usually resulting in instant death. However, some of the enemies of the Shapers were warped into powerful creatures, and one of them named Heustess led the fight back against the Shapers. The shapers were forced to flee the Island. The Shapers developed on the mainlands and prospered. The enemies of the Shapers who remained on Sucia Island eventually died off except for Heustess. The island was eventually reclaimed by the Shapers, and became the site of the creation of Canisters and the first Geneforge. The Shapers came to dominate all land they controlled and remained a powerful people without major opposition, until the Rebellion. Approximately 200 years prior to Geneforge 1, Sucia Island was Barred, and the Shapers left the Island. About 100 years later, it was made illegal to have fighting pits for creations. Prior to this law being passed, Shapers would often share recipes and creation formulas with each other. Category:Shapers Category:Geneforge 1 Category:Geneforge 2 Category:Geneforge 3 Category:Geneforge 4 Category:Geneforge 5 Trivia *Depending on the player's perspective, the Shapers can be considered as protagonistic villainous faction or primary antagonists of entire Geneforge series. Category:Sects